


Britches and Hose

by choctopus



Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Dress Up, Established Relationship, F/F, Sneaking Out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-06
Updated: 2014-06-06
Packaged: 2018-02-03 16:44:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1751561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/choctopus/pseuds/choctopus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anne has a fun idea which involves dressing up. Constance goes along with it because to know Anne of Austria is to love her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Britches and Hose

"Constance, I've had an idea." Anne said one day, when Constance arrived in her apartments. "I'll need you to go steal some clothes from the laundry!"  
"Your Majesty, what do you have in mind?!"  
"Get the clothes first and then I'll tell you." The Queen winked. "You'll need to get boys' clothes to fit us both. Oh, and hats."  
Constance raised an eyebrow at the queen. "I hope you know what you're doing." Anne only smiled back at her.  
"Trust me my dear. It's going to be fun!"  
  
It took some wrangling to liberate two sets of britches, hose and doublets from the palace laundry without being apprehended but Constance managed it. She hurried the things back to the Queen's rooms hidden under fresh bedlinens. The Queen herself was less dressed than she had been when Constance left her.  
"Your Majesty?"  
"Ah you're back! Did you get what we needed?" Anne hopped up from where she had been sitting on her bed.   
"Yes, took a little dodging... so what do we need them for?" Anne grinned, a wicked glint in her eye.  
"We're going out. Into the city, among the people."  
"You know the reason you dont get to do that is it's dangerous, don't you?"  
"Well of course, but it must be much less dangerous if no one knows who I am. Hence the clothes."  
"You know, Anne, I'm used to things getting almost suicidally stupid 'because it'll be fun' where d'Artagnan and his friends are concerned but I thought better of you."   
Anne smiled at her. The Queen had a particular trait -  one she shared with the aforementioned Musketeers - total, unshakeable certainty that Constance would refuse her nothing, no matter how harebrained the scheme. They were right, too.   
"We'd better get dressed then." Constance said, throwing a set of clothes to Anne.  
They got themselves dressed and Constance couldn't help but note that Her Majesty made a very handsome boy. She didn't say so, of course, not while they were still in the palace. She might have mentioned it later on, after the wine and the fight and the breathless sprint through the grimy streets of the city.  
  
The two women snuck out of a servants' entrance in their disguises.  
"Oh! We need names." Anne pointed out. "I shall be... Pierre! What's your name?"  
"Oh good grief, um... Georges?" Constance said, plucking a name from thin air.   
"Nice to meet you Georges." Anne said, taking Constance's hand.  
"You too, Pierre. Now. Pub?"  
They intentionally avoided the Musketeers usual watering holes and found an inn which looked like there was unlikely to be a punch-up. Anne ordered wine to their table, flirting with the barmaid.  
"You're getting into your role a bit there, Pierre." Constance observed as her companion came back to the table.   
"Got to embrace it when you're undercover, dear Georges. Didn't you learn that, helping the Musketeers? Besides, she's a pretty girl."   
"You want to be careful talking like that. I might get jealous." Constance said, only half joking. The Queen had a glint in her eye again as she looked up from her wine glass.  
"You're such a joker, Connie." She whispered, so no one else could hear.   
They drank, and talked for hours. Then one drunk managed to tip his drink over Anne.   
"Look where you're going, will you!" she yelled at him. Of course he took it badly, and rounded on this impudent lad, fists balled. Constance leaped to her feet to get between them, with an unspoken prayer of thanks that not only had Aramis given her a sword, she'd had the prescence of mind to bring it with her. She drew and put herself between Anne and the drunk.  
"Back off, or I'll spill your guts right here." Mostly out of surprise, she suspected, the drunk complied, but it was never, ever that easy. The landlord apparently didn't appreciate naked blades in his 'fine' establishment, and began calling for guards. Constance grabbed Anne's arm.  
"RUN!" and they ran. Elbowed past the landlord, still bellowing in the doorway, and hared down the street pursued by the shouts of night watchmen.  
  
They ran until their chests were burning and the shouts had faded into the distance. Anne pulled Constance into a doorway to catch their breath.   
"Are you alright, Constance, are we alright?" she panted.   
"Yes, I think we've lost them."  
"I'm so, so sorry I got us into that Constance, I really am." Anne pulled Constance into a close embrace.  
"There's nothing to apologise for, it's an inn, this stuff happens! Besides, did you see his face when I drew the sword?"   
"Oh yes, he wasn't expecting that at all!" They dissolved into laughter. Constance hated to end the moment of connection, but there were bells sounding midnight and they'd be missed before long.   
"We probably need to get back, don't we."   
"We do." Anne sighed. "Thank you for looking after me tonight, Constance."  
"Thank you for bringing me with you. It's been an adventure." Constance smiled. They started walking, retracing their steps til they reached familiar streets.   
"You know, I can see why that barmaid responded so favourably to you, your Majesty. You do make a attractive young man."  
"Why thank you! I was thinking the same thing about you. Were you really jealous?"   
"A little." Constance admitted.  
"Only a little?"  
"She doesn't get to see you every day."  
  
Anne had that look on her face again as they came to the servants entrance. Once they were safely inside, she turned to Constance. "Come to bed with me tonight?" Her hands had settled unselfconsciously on Constance's hips, one thumb tracing a circle in the fabric of the stolen britches.  
"Of course."   
They kissed, and Anne's hands slipped upwards beneath Constance's doublet.   
"Come on, let's get back to your rooms before someone catches us."  
"And the sooner I get you out of those britches the better." Anne added, by way of agreement.


End file.
